NEREUS

The Mediterranean Sea possesses important biodiversity and unique biological values with a high level of endemism of marine fauna and flora. As a consequence of this necessity of marine habitat protection to promote sustainable marine resource use and marine biodiversity conservation, a number of international efforts and nations have committed themselves to the creation of networks of marine conservation zones.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development – have established measurable targets for terrestrial and marine protected area coverage, to be achieved by 2010 and 2012 respectively: “By 2010, terrestrially and 2012 in the marine area, a global network of comprehensive, representative and effectively managed national and regional protected area system is established”’ (Decision VII/28, CBD 2004).

Main objective

NEREUS is a development of the inception project named Med-RAS project , funded by MAVA and Total Foundations in 2009 and 2010. Its main objective is “to gather, produce, synthesize and communicate information on the marine environment (species, features, resources and threats) and to identify conservation priorities sites in the Mediterranean Sea”.

The ultimate aim will be the identification and then the designation and networking of representative sites at the national, sub-regional and regional levels as a support to the protection of the Mediterranean.

Nereus, one of the gods of the Greek mythology, is described as a wise seaman ruling the Mediterranean or the god of the Mediterranean sea and its richness. He is the father, with his wife Doris, of fifty daughters named the Nereids.

Specific objectives

To identify national and regional expertise concerning the marine environment, its conservation and management for the identification of a representative and coherent network of marine managed areas;

To identify the most coherent and representative network of marine managed areas based on the existing knowledge;

To assist in the preparation and adoption of a strategic document for marine conservation and of site proposal for conservation for the national institutions and/or international organisations, identifying gaps and hindrances

To set an annual regional meeting of partners in one of the countries participating to the project or during an existing event of a convention, agreement or initiative for review of activities, links between different initiatives from the high sea to the land and planning for the future year.

Countries

The geographical coverage of the project considers the following areas and countries as first priority:
- North Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt
- Eastern Mediterranean: Lebanon and Turkey

And as second priority, due to existing support programmes from the European Union and of some of the partners, countries for which funds could be allocated for during the project along the Eastern Adriatic coast for the following countries: Slovenia Croatia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Montenegro & Albania.

Partners & donor

IUCN-Med is coordinating the project with the collaboration of ACCOBAMS, MedWET, RAC/SPA, MedPAN and the Lebanese Ministry of Environment. The national partners will be identified in each country, including all potential stakeholders involved in the marine and coastal activities, such as the national administrations and institutions, the universities and research centres, the experts, the NGOs or other representatives of the civil society.

IUCN-Med receives core financial support from the Ministry of Environment of the Junta de Andalucia, the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).